The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting consumers from faulty products sold in this country. Keeping our families, friends and neighbors safe should be everyone’s goal. Your product may be new and shiny, but it also may be hazardous.

The commission, in concert with the media, usually does an excellent job of getting information to the average consumer about defective or hazardous products, both new and used. This does not include automobiles. They are covered by another federal agency: the National Highway Safety Administration.

Sometimes in the avalanche of data we are inundated with every day, important information about the safety of products does not rise to our attention. The commission’s Web site, www.cpsc.gov, is an excellent resource for reviewing products that have been recalled. The Northeast CONTACT Web site also has a direct link to this site. (Find it by clicking on the “Frequently Asked Questions” section.) Recalling products is usually a cooperative effort of the manufacturer and the commission.

The product recall list is posted monthly and is very diverse in its entries. For the month of April 2006, 28 items are listed. So far, May contains 19 items. The commission’s monthly recall database goes back to 1974. This is particularly helpful to Maine consumers, who have a nationwide reputation for being frugal and keeping products far longer than the average expected life of those products. The recall history of any product less than 33 years old can be found easily with a few clicks of the computer keyboard. Additionally, Web site visitors can sign up to receive e-mails of new product recalls, thus becoming among the first ones on their block to become aware of product safety hazards.

The monthly recall listings are diverse and detailed in describing the safety hazard and how many of the products are on the market. Many of the products listed are related to children and their safety. Jewelry items that contain poisonous and toxic lead are listed. Bicycle helmets that fail to meet safety standards for impact resistance are identified. Inexpensive children’s inflatable wading pools are listed as potential drowning hazards. Products that pose choking hazards also are included. Swing sets and other playground equipment have more than one entry.

There are also listings for outdoor hunting and recreation hazards that may be of particular importance to residents of the Pine Tree State. There are 6,700 hunting tree stands that have been recalled because a tree strap can fail, causing the stand to collapse unexpectedly, resulting in injury or death. An estimated 41,000 snowmobiles have been recalled because the fuel tank could crack and leak, posing a fire hazard. Another manufacturer is recalling 1,380 snow sleds with electric starters. It appears the starter motor may not have been properly attached. A starter bolt may become loose and fall out and interfere with the lower steering drag link. The operator might then lose steering control.

The commission’s Web site also has a page that permits consumers to directly report unsafe products. If the product or service is not under the agency’s jurisdiction, links are provided to other agencies that have appropriate authority. This would include automobiles, tires, motorcycles, food, medicines and cosmetics. The role of the commission is identifying and removing products from the market that are unsafe, as well as educating the public about these issues. Thanks to the commission, Mainers and other Americans can enjoy safer residential, outdoor and business environments.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT for Better Business Inc., Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit organization and America’s oldest consumer advocacy agency of its kind, established in 1972. For help, write to Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1339, or e-mail consumerhelp@bangor

dailynews.net.